Draft gear



M y 1927- E. ENDSLEY DRAFT GEAR Filed April 21 1925 FIG. 4

FIG. 3

warm-row Patented May 3, 1927.

JUNIITEDSTFATES. PA ENTZQFFICE.

LOUIS E. ENnsLEY, or rrr'rsnunen, PENNsYLvA'nIA, Ass'renonro warren EQUIP- v MENT oommmy, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, woonrommron or MAINE.

. DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed April 21, 1925. Serial No. 24,796.

III

1 3 labor is required in properly reassembling the same, and also in placing them in operative position within the yoke One object of my invention is to provide a self-contained unit wherein the elements so such as spring plates, the follower blocks and spacer blocks which may be employed are held in assembled relation so that they may be readily handled without becoming disarranged. Another object of my invention is to simplify and improve generallythe structure and arrangement of draft gear mechanism. One form which my invention may take 1S shown in the accompanying drawing, where- 3 in Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a port on of draft gear mechanism embodying my 1nvention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof but showing certain other parts of the draft gear structure; Fig. 3 is an elevatlonal view, on an enlarged scale, of the inner face of one of the follower blocks, and Fig. 4 is an end elevational view, on a still further enlarged scale, of one of the follower blocks, and showing a cage or cover member 4 partially in section.

For purposes of illustration I have shown somewhat schematically side members 5 of a draft sill structure provided with stops 6 for the rear follower block and stops 7 for the front follower block. A yoke 8 is shown to which a draw bar 9 may be connected. The parts thus far referred to may be of conventional form.

Within the yoke 8 are mounted groups of spring steel plates 10 separated by a double convex spacer 11 and double concave spacers 12. The employment of these spacers is of course optional, although they are commonly employed to provide greater yielding'capacity, since the spacer 11 will deflect the group of plates at either side thereof into the adjacentconcave faces of the spacers 12, while the end groups of springs will be deflected into the outer concave surfaces of the spacers 12 by front and rear follower blocks 13 and 14.

The followers 13 and 14 may be of somewhatthe usual form but are each provided withfour hooks 15, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. These blocks 13 and 14 are substantially identical in form so that a description of one will suffice for both.

A pair of cage or cover members 16 of general channel form are provided for partially enclosing the spring plates, spacers, and follower blocks, as shown in Fig. 1. Each of these members 16 is provided with four slots 17 for the reception of the hooks 15 which extend through said slots and engage the cover members 16 in the manner shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 4. If desired, the covers 16 could be provided with hooks instead of the slots 17, to cooperate with the hooks 15, but I prefer to' slot the cover members so that a connection of greater strength is provided. Also, the hooks 15 could be made separately from the follower 14 and attached thereto in any desired manner, but I prefer to form such hooks integrally with the blocks.

The slots 17 are of such length and so positioned that when the follower blocks and plates are in position within the cover members 16 they will be under slight compression, to avoid accidental disengagement of the hooks 15 from the cover members 16.

-The covers 16 and their contained members are assembled before placing them in the yoke and a clamping member is applied to the outer faces of the followers 13 and 14 to draw them together slightly so that the unit can be inserted in the yoke 8. The clamps can then be removed and the springs 10 permitted to force the followers into engagement with their respective seats. The slots 17 are also of such length that the hooks 15 are at this time slightly spaced from the outer end walls of the slots 17. as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 2. This arrangement insures that the parts will be held in the yoke with sufficient yielding force to prevent unnecessary looseness of movement therein. The slots 17 are long enough to permit proper range of movement of the hooks within said slots when ber extending toward the other cover memthe spring plates 10 are deflected during ordinary operation of the draft gear.

I claim as my invention:

1. Draft gear structure comprising fol-f :t'ollowcr blocks to a degree that spring pres sure will at all times be exerted thereon.

2. Draft gear structure comprising a pair of follower blocks, spring plates disposed tlicrebetwecn, a pair or channel-like cover members disposed against opposite sides, of

said blocks, the flanges of each cover meniber and each of the cover members being provided with a longitudinal slot in each of its corners, and a hook projection upon each corner of said follower blocks in position to extend into said slots.

3. Draft gear structure comprising a pair of follower blocks, yieldable members disposed between said blocks, an open-end eover menlber partially enclosing said members and blocks and provided with elongated perforations or slo'ts and hook members on said blocks extending through said perforations, for limiting expansive movement oi the blocks and preventing displacement of said cover member when the blocks are at one eXtreme of expansive movenicnt.

In testimony whereof I, the said LoUis E. ENnsLnY, have hereunto set my hand.

LOUIS E, ENDSLEY. 

